US Prioritizes Domestic Production in New Export Policy

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for a new ‘America First Arms Transfer Strategy’, aiming to prioritize American production and defense spending in arms exports. The policy centers around three prongs: creating clear direction, establishing criteria, and streamlining processes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have 90 days to develop enhanced end-use monitoring criteria, while a sales catalog of prioritized platforms will be drafted within 120 days. This strategy may advance the US defense industrial base, but its impact on global arms markets remains to be seen.